When Your Soul Embarks
by BobblesAndRockets02
Summary: Takes place when they are in 6th year so they're 16 going on 17 . It's a new school year, and Draco is forced to share Hogwarts with the students of a Canadian Witch Academy, little does he know his life is about to change forever.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my very first fan fiction, so I really hope you enjoy it :) I'm a huge fan of Draco, and believe he has the potential to be a good guy.**

**DPV: Draco's Point of View**

**APV: Alice's Point of View**

**xoxo**

**BobblesAndRockets02**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the fallowing characters. All rights go to JK Rowling.**

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Chapter One – New Year and a Killer Hangover.

DPV

His head was pounding. And the ever growing sounds of laughter and conversation which were bouncing off the walls of the great hall weren't helping in the slightest. Draco knew that letting Goyle spike his pumpkin juice last night with his brother's Goblin Whiskey had been a terrible mistake. He cam to this conclusion, when he woke up this morning, broke through the barrier of platforms nine and ten, and then proceeded to board the Hogwarts Express, not only starting off his sixth year of school more irritable than usual, but with a killer hangover.

"You know," said Crabbe between mouthfuls of roast chicken and potatoes. They had decided to start the feast early this year since the train had been a little delayed and everybody was hungry. The aroma of different roasted meats, vegetables, and more were wafting though the air. "Pansy's been looking for you ever since you tried to lose her coming off the train." He let out an exaggerated sigh, allowing Draco to pick up the fact that he was both annoyed, and teasing. A few miscellaneous Slytherins proceeded to fallow this comment with obnoxious kissing noises.

_Very mature guys…what a bunch of idiots._ Draco thought to himself, as he pushed some peas around his plate with his fork. _And I have to endure a whole year of stupidity? Why my father refused to let me transfer to Durmstrang still does not cease to amaze me._ _When I get home…_His thoughts ere interrupted abruptly by Dumbledore's voice speaking from the front of the room.

"Welcome friends!" He said graciously with open arms. His eyes sparkled with wisdom, and crinkled at the edges with kindness. "Welcome to a brand new year of learning, here at Hogwarts School of Witch and Wizardry! Now," He cleared his throat, "before we welcome our first year students, I would like to make a very important announcement." The smile was no longer on his face. His face had gone into an expression that told the whole student body that he was deep in thought. Draco wondered to himself half heartedly what the news could possibly be. The room, once noisy and rambunctious, fell so silent you could hear a wand drop.

Dumbledore stared observantly over the sea of eyes, as if pondering how to continue. The air was thick with suspense. He opened his aging mouth to speak, but was immediately interrupted by the sound of the large wooden doors of the great hall swinging open, as Filch ran up the isle towards Dumbledore. He was clearly out of breath, for he was holding his chest in such a manner, and his face was at the point where it was beyond red, growing more a deep shade of purple. He handed Dumbledore a small piece of paper, before quickly exiting the way he came.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed as he as he scanned the parchment, his lips mouthing the words. He looked up, the smile almost completely back on this face, as he exclaimed, "It appears to me I do not have much time to explain, for our guests have arrived. Hogwarts will be temporarily be home to the grade 11 students of the Canadian school of Enselmer Witch Academy. Grade 11 is roughly the same as our sixth year. Their school was forced to shut down and evacuate all students due to and incident we believe may be related to Voldemort. And since the Headmistress is a dear friend of mine, I offered them shelter during their time of devastation."

The room buzzed with excitement (mainly the male and lesbian population) at the thought of Canadian girls coming to stay. Draco however didn't share in their excitement. "Great," he murmured under his breath, words heavy with disdain. "Not only do I have to put up with the stupidity of my so called peers, but now I must deal with a bunch of giggling Canadian girls." Before he could conclude his comment of angst, Dumbledore shared something that sent the whole room into an uproar.

"Since we do not know how long our guests shall be staying in our company, they shall be sorted into Hogwarts houses, along with our first year students."

Draco rolled his eyes as his friends all high fived, and cheered in contentment. "Cha Ching!" yelled Seamus Finnigan from the Gryffindor table, sending the guys into hysterical laughter, while his current girlfriend shot him a look that would frighten even the Dark Lord. At this moment, the wooden doors opened for a second time, revealing a woman with white hair – which was pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck – lavender eyes, and a most unusual pant suit in the colour of egg plant. She had a stern, hard line for a mouth, and walked with military precision. When she reached the front, her expression didn't change as she held her hand out to Dumbledore.

"Long time no see Albus." She expressed in a voice of somebody with many years experience of iron fisted punishment. After Dumbledore finished shaking her hand and greeting her in a hushed voice, he turned to his pupils.

"This is Professor Stevenson, headmistress of Enselmer Witch Academy. Now, Selma, may I ask where your lovely ladies are?" He gave her a curious look.

"They probably have gotten lost. Our school is exactly one tenth the size of this institution. And you know how fuzzy brained teenage witches can be. GIRLS!" She ordered. Within moments a cluster of dumbfounded, confused girls began to poke their heads around the door. They were dressed quite differently than any witch Draco had ever seen, sporting black blazers with blue and black plaid skirts, paired with white blouses and black knee high socks and heels. A tall petite blonde girl pushed her way to the front of the group, and flashed a flirty smile to a group of Hufflepuff boys.

As if under a spell, the rest of the girls followed the girl as she strutted up the isle, and once they reached the front of the room they formed a line in front of their head mistress. The woman pointed at the blonde girl and gestured for her to join her. "Clara, come here." As the girl continued to sashay, the boys seemed to notice all at once how high her skirt had been rolled, for they whistled all at once. Draco choked down his own disgust.

"Hello everyone, my name is Clara Leport and I am the Enselmer student body Prime Minister." She spoke in her Canadian accent. "And I would just like to take this opportunity to thank every single one of you, for taking us in. Your school is truly beautiful. And huge!" She giggled, sending the majority of the guys into whispers.

After she took her place among her peers, and they had finished sorting the first year students, they proceeded to sort the girls using the ragged, patched up sorting hat. Draco barely noticed. All he remembered was that they placed Clara in Ravenclaw, a bald headed girl named Nora into Slytherin, and a pixie like blonde in Gryffindor. Just as he was about to zone out for the final time, he was distracted for a moment.

"Alice Acerbus?" called Professor McGonagall, the sorting hat waiting expectantly in her hand.

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Please review and leave comments/criticism/concerns :) I'd appreciate it very much!


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's chapter 2 :) Hope you all like it. Also, check out the fan fiction called "The Prince and the Princess" by Professor Severus Snapes Wife! **

**DPV - Draco's Point of View**

**APV - Alice's Point of View**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters, etc. All rights go to their respec  
**

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Chapter 2 – Alice Acerbus

DPV

"Is there an Alice Acerbus here?" Professor McGonagall asked; a puzzled expression crossing her face when no student stepped forward. From where Draco was seated, he saw a stout brunette not so lightly shove another student forward. He assumed this girl to be Alice. The reason why Alice hadn't been able to hear McGonagall became apparent. She was wearing headphones. Large ones at that. Professor McGonagall gave her a stern look, and motioned for Alice to proceed to the stool, in order to be sorted. Draco believed he had a very good judge of character, and could tell a lot about somebody just based on their first impression. For example, just by looking at Alice, he could tell that she either slacked off in school, not caring about her grades, or was so smart she didn't feel the need to pay attention. He could tell she was a very defensive person, closing herself off to the world using hard exteriors so that she wouldn't get hurt, or because she just didn't like to be bothered. He could also tell he didn't like her. Not one bit.

It wasn't the way she looked that made him come to this conclusion. Her hair, which was a deep red, fell halfway down her back, and covered half her face with a long sweeping side bang. She had porcelain skin, defined eyebrows, and stunning blue eyes which were framed by a pair of glasses Draco had never seen before. They must have been a Canadian fashion. No. What made Draco dislike her was the fact that just as she was about to sit down on the stool, she purposefully turned her head in his direction – as if she sensed him staring – and scowled. _Who the hell does that little bitch think she is?_ Draco thought angrily to himself._ If she is placed in Slytherin, I..._

Draco was beginning to lose patience as his thoughts were once again interrupted, this time by the sorting hat screeching out "RAVENCLAW!" almost immediately after being placed on the bitch's head. _Ahh...so she is smart._ He thought to himself; frowning as he watched her slump over to the Ravenclaw table. She took a seat beside the feather brained Luna Lovegood. Luna looked as if she were trying to start a conversation with the Alice, shoving a copy of the Quibbler in her face. Alice was clearly not interested. Yes. Draco knew that this girl was going to be trouble. He knew he didn't like her. He knew that she could possibly be smarter than Hermione Granger. But what he didn't know was that the wheels of an invisible fate had started to turn.

APV

_God I really don't want to be here right now..._Alice thought to herself as she and her fellow 11th graders pooled around the large wooden doors which led to the "great hall". All she wanted was to be snuggled up in her bed at Enselmer Witch Academy, complaining to her friend Gwen about the amount of Charms homework Professor Gryffin had assigned to them. All she wanted was to be able to lock herself in her mind, blocking out all of reality while blaring music at a ridiculous level. All she wanted was to be home. Why they had to come to this school all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, while grades 9, 10, and 12 got to stay in the same country, blew her mind. She was determined not to think of all the owls she wouldn't be able to send, because of the distance. She came to resolute that she wouldn't enjoy this "fine opportunity of experience British culture" as Professor Stevenson so lightly put it. She had made up her mind she wouldn't speak one word, until they realized what a horrible mistake coming here had been, and they all went home.

_Well...If I'm going to be forced to endure standing in front of all those British twits, I may as well enjoy myself. _She thought to herself as she reached into one of the deep pockets of her blazer and pulled out a pair of rather large head phones. They had once belonged to her cousin Sarah. Sarah was a squib. The day her family realized that their daughter was a squib, was for some strange reason a terrible day. Her Aunt cried for weeks, while her Uncle refused to even look at Sarah. Alice thought they blew the whole situation out of proportion. Alice thought they were absolute ass holes. Why else would they totally abandon their daughter? Why else would they send her off to live with strange people that weren't her parents? Why else would they refuse to have any contact with her after wards? Alice, on the other end of the spectrum, thought that having a squib as a relative was the coolest thing since...well ever! She still kept in touch with Sarah, without her family knowing of course. Sarah sent her interesting gadgets from the muggle world. Posters where the people stayed in the same position all the time, this contraption they refer to as a laptop, and of course her headphones. Initially the headphones had been attached to an "mp3 player" which was what originally held her music. But Alice got bored with it, so she just bewitched the headphones to hold the music instead.

Alice had just put the head phones on her head and started to lose herself in the one thing that was familiar in this strange school, when she was shoved out of the way as Clara Leport pushed her blonde little self to the front of the pack. Alice rolled her eyes as Clara made an attempt to flirt with one of the boys that the table closest to her. The next thing Alice knew she was walking in a uniform line up the center isle of one of the most beautiful rooms she had ever seen. The ceiling alone took her breath away, for it had been bewitched to look just like the night sky. You could even see the moon's smoldering silver light caressing the clouds that crossed its path. To top off this magnificent spectacle were the thousands of white candles hovering above their heads, casting mysterious shadows at odd angles around the room.

She then noticed the sea of eyes staring at her. Alice had always been a bit shy, but the sight of so many people looking at her made her want to disappear. They reached the front of the room, where Professor Stevenson was standing beside an old man with a long silvery beard, which was tucked into the belt of his strange robes. She assumed this to be Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. She spaced out completely as Professor Stevenson motioned for Clara to stand beside her. Of course, Clara obliged and sashayed her way up to the front. And by sashayed, Alice meant twitched.

She made a mental note to herself that she would follow through with her plan to shave Clara's head before she graduated. Clara began her little speech not so coincidentally at the same time Alice turned her music even louder. When Clara finished, they were shoved to the side of the room, while a group of 1st year Hogwarts students came into the room to go through the process of being sorted. Professor had gone over this ceremony 125 times before they all came here. Alice watched as an elderly woman in emerald robes set down a stool in the center of a small platform. She had what appeared to be a grungy, tattered wizard's hat in her one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other. She began to read off names.

Alice figured she had an abundance amount of time before her name was called, but was startled when about 10 minutes later Ashley from her Divination class shoved her forward. Alice looked up just in time to see the woman in green give her a stern look, and tilt her head towards the chair. Alice half heartedly dragged herself over to the stool, but just as she was about to sit down she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand upright. Somebody was staring at her. Not the typical stare which everybody was giving her at the moment but a dark, sinister glare. She sat down, but not before looking to the side, and seeing a boy with white blonde hair and dark eyes watching her every move very closely. Alice did not like to be stared at. Just as the woman was placing the hat on her head, she shot the boy a look that could kill.

A million thoughts were racing through Alice's mind when the hat screamed out "RAVENCLAW!" Professor Stevenson had informed them that this was where the intelligent pupils were placed. _Great. Not I'm not only am I stuck here; I'm stuck with a bunch of nerds._ She thought as she walked over to the table that was cheering for her. It wasn't that she thought being a nerd was a bad thing, for she was one herself. But being around them 24/7 could be quite tiresome.

She took her place beside a girl who introduced herself in a sing song voice as Luna Lovegood. Even though she was somewhat happy to be in this house, she was still in no mood to start making friends. However, Luna wasn't prepared to give up so easily and kept pushing this odd magazine called the Quibbler in her face. She also would not stop talking, so Alice just shrugged every time Luna suggested something. By the end of the evening, she had somehow managed to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans with Luna for the amount of time she and her classmates where staying at Hogwarts. Even though she knew she should be totally focussed on getting out of these plans, her mind was else where. Why had that boy been staring at her? What was his deal? But more importantly, why did she care?

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Please review, and send your comments/concerns/and criticisms! They are all very much appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's Chapter 3 :) I hope you all like it :) It takes place in two parts. The first being the first night at Hogwarts (after the feast) and the second is on the fourth day of school (and the first day of Potions). Enjoy!**

**Remember to check out "The Prince and the Princess" by Professor Severus Snapes Wife!**

**xoxo**

**BobblesAndRockets02  
**

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Chapter Three – Sleepless Nights and Troublesome Potions Partners.

DPV

Sleep. It is a wonderfully vulnerable time where one feels content. Comfortable enough with their surroundings to just lie there and rest. A time meant for relaxing and rejuvenating the soul and mind. All in preparation for the stresses and burdens that would inevitably come when the person woke from their slumber. Sleep never came to Draco that night. For he was neither relaxed, nor content with the way his life was going at the moment. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was the look Alice Acerbus had given him. All he saw was the pure disdain in her deep sapphire eyes; in her red stained mouth. All he felt, were millions of emotions that he couldn't even begin to explain. Not even to himself. He was angry, hurt, and confused. But the one emotion that confused him even more was embarrassment. Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, was embarrassed. He was, of course, embarrassed by his reaction. Why did he care so much? It was just a look. For all he knew, it may not have even been directed at him. What was it about her that made him want to hate her, based off of a look? At the time he had been infuriated. Now he felt rather stupid. He felt like a child who was fighting with somebody; who continued to fight, even though they knew they were wrong. He shouldn't have let her get to him.

After coming to the conclusion that he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, Draco threw off his black fluffy covers, and walked over to his trunk. He didn't care if he made noise, as he unlatched the clasps, for everybody was obviously still in the common room partying. As he pulled out his Firedash 204 – the brand new broomstick his father had purchased for him in Knockturn Alley – he wondered if he should go down, and join his fellow Slytherins. A couple swigs of gin would probably lighten his mood. It would also probably help him get his mind of the subject that was prodding him.

As he placed his broomstick carelessly back into the trunk, and started to head to the common room, he thought of Alice one final time. What would he do if they had classes together? He wasn't about to go out of his way to be friendly to that girl. No. On the contrary! Draco could be stubborn, and when provoked he could hold out for ages. Draco certainly felt provoked. _Nothing_ would make him talk to that girl. _Ever_!

APV

Not even the soothing sounds of her favourite romantic symphony by Bach could lull Alice to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, her mind wouldn't allow her the privilege of rest. The reason? The nameless dark eyed boy with white blond hair. After she had left the great hall to retire for the night, Luna had shown Alice to the Ravenclaw common room, and up to where she would be sleeping. Alice hadn't asked Luna about the boy, for at the time, sleep was threatening to take her.

After finally telling herself that sleep would never come for what felt to be the millionth time, she decided to unpack some of the belongings she had brought with her. _Time to decorate._ She thought to herself. She didn't bother trying to be quiet, seeing as everybody else was wide awake and partying it up down in the common room. _So much for nerds. _She thought to herself as she listened to the foreign music which was drifting in the open door of her room. She picked up her quite heavy leather trunk, and examined all the stickers she had placed on it over the past couple years. There were stickers from her favourite Canadian Quidditch teams, her favourite wizard band "The Weird Sisters" and a couple miscellaneous flags of countries she wished to visit in the future. Some included France, India, and a few others. She unclasped the silver buckles at the front of the trunk, and pulled out a few of her favourite muggle posters she had managed to save from her dorm at Enselmer. One was the band Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, another of the Canadian flag. Placing a picture of her parents on her table, she smiled as she watched them wave and blow kisses. She had gotten her odd shade of red hair from her mother, while she'd gotten her deep blue eyes from her father. She missed her parents so much it hurt. They were her best friends, especially her mother. Whenever she would be sick, or something wasn't right, her mom was always right there beside her. It got to the point where it was obsessive sometimes, but Alice didn't care. She understood her mom was just a very caring person. Especially since she was her only daughter.

She was brought back to reality by the sound of Clara practically tripping her way into the room, while clinging to someone she kept calling Roger. Alice huffed a very irritated sigh as she walked out. She did not want to think of what they were going to do. She did however manage to get one word out before she left, and she said it loud enough for both of them to hear. "Whore!" That was it. She left them to do their thing. As she left she thought, _tonight is going to be a very long night._

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DPV

"Welcome. To another exciting year of the subtle sciences we here at Hogwarts call Potions." Professor Snape said in his usual monotone voice. His face looked as if somebody had stuck sponges full of the putrid water from the Black Lake up his nose. His small black eyes glared around the room, eying all the students in the space. Draco was quite happy at the moment. The reason? He had potions with half of the Ravenclaw house. The half that did not include Alice Acerbus. If he was anymore happy, it would probably cause him bodily harm.

However, Draco's joy was short lived, for at that moment Professor Snape paused over the empty seat beside Draco. Draco had just figured there were one too many seats, but clearly this was not the case at all. "Hmmm...It appears we're one short...I bet it's..." before he could conclude his statement, the door to their classroom squeaked open quietly. "Ah. Miss Acerbus. You have finally decided to join us. 10 points from Ravenclaw for your tardiness." The rest of the Ravenclaws let out a groan, while Draco felt as if his insides had turned to stone. Alice was the missing student. Draco could hear her shuffling her feet up the isle slowly towards him. He lifted his head, desperately looking for another possible place to sit, but there wasn't one. Alice and Draco had to sit beside one another. _Holy Shit. Oh My God. Holy Shit. What am I going to do? Holy Shit!_ Draco screamed inside his head as he situated his face in his hands. He heard Alice sit next to him, setting her cauldron on its hook and her pack of parchment on the desk. Draco peeked over, just in time to see her produce a very peculiar quill from a small back she wore over her shoulder. Draco had heard about these quills. The long silky feather would change colour to match the emotion the holder was feeling at the moment. The feather was red. Red meant anger. _Good. She's as pissed off about this whole affair as I am, _he thought nastily to himself. His assessment had been correct, for Alice completely ignored him, keeping her face hidden behind a long, thick curtain or red hair. He could hear her vigorously scribbling down the note which Snape was spewing out of his mouth.

Everything about her bothered him in some way. From the way her elbow came slightly over onto his half of the table, to the way she held her quill. Occasionally he would not so politely bump her arm off his side, while in return receiving a kick under the table.

There were seven minutes of class left and to Draco time seemed to be slowing to a grave pace. His hand ached from all the writing he had been forced to do, and his patience was running thin. As much as he loved the dungeons, he needed out. He needed to go back to the safety of his dormitory, and take a nap. He had just started to pack up his belongings, when Professor Snape dropped the bomb. Not a tiny bomb, but a bomb that caused monstrous, catastrophic consequences. "I'm about to assign your very first large project of the term." This was met by the sound of every single student groaning. "Now don't you dare groan. If you didn't want large projects, you shouldn't have taken year six Potions! Anyways, all of you will be working in partners, and together you will research the topic which I assign to you. This assignment is worth thirty percent of your final grade, so unless you want to be warming these seats again next year, I suggest you do not fail." Whispering broke out all over the room, with people trying to get each others' attention from across the room. "Don't get too excited, because I am picking the partners."

Draco's mouth went dry. All he could do was pray to Voldemort that Snape wouldn't match him up with Alice. He crossed his fingers inside of his cloak as Professor Snape began to read off names. "Miss Lovegood and Mr Goyle. Mr Crabbe and Mr Davies. Alice Acerbus..." he paused, looking around as if trying to choose a suitable partner. His eyes locked on Draco, "and Mr Malfoy."

Draco felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

APV

Alice couldn't believe she was late. She'd been at Hogwarts for exactly four days now, and she had managed to get lost trying to find every single one of her classes. She had heard that the teacher of her Potions class – Professor Snape – wasn't the kindest when it came to tardiness. She quickly but carefully managed her way down the stairs which led down to the dungeons, the smell of mold and mildew filling her nose as she descended. She could hear water dripping from the ceilings, forming puddles on the stone floors. She passed a man who she knew to be Mr Filch. He turned to give her a strange look, and sped off down the hallway with a fluffy cat at his heels.

She approached the door to her Potions room, and was intimidated by how dingy and gloomy it looked. It towered over her, as if warning her not to enter. But in the end she knew there was no avoiding the inevitable, so she slowly opened the door as quietly as she could. Everybody in the room turned to look at her as she entered the room. _Why did I leave my headphones in my dormitory? Why?_ She pushed her glasses nervously up her nose, feeling the heavy gaze of her teacher on her. "Ah. Miss Acerbus. You have finally decided to join us. 10 points from Ravenclaw for your tardiness." Her face reddened as she looked around for a place to sit. Her heart went cold. For the only spot left unoccupied was beside him. The dark eyed boy with the white blond hair. She had no choice. There were no other seats. She slowly dragged her feet over to where she would inevitably have to sit for the next hour and a half or so. She could sense his anger like a dark aura in everything he did. The way his fingers were tense around his black feathered quill. The way he kept his head low, and his jaw clenched. He liked sitting beside her about as much as somebody would like being kicked in the face by a Hippogriff.

She pulled out her quill, and watched as the feather changed to deep red, which meant she was angry. Besides being angry because she had to sit beside the nameless boy, she was angry for many things. One, being that she made herself late, therefore making her have to sit beside him in the first place. Second, was the way he would brutally shove her arm if she ever accidentally got too close. She retaliated by kicking him quite forcefully under the table, and taking great satisfaction when he would wince.

Class dragged on forever, and Alice noted that her hand and wrist had actually gone numb from all the writing she had done. Professor Thompson never made them due such slave work back at Enselmer. She just kept reminding herself that soon they would be doing real potions work, and not so much note writing. Just as the clock hit the mark which meant there were seven minutes left in class, Alice saw the end was near. Soon she would be off to her next class – Herbology – with part of the Gryffindor house.

That's when Professor Snape shattered any contentment she had just had. It all began when he said, "I'm about to assign your very first large project of the term." Her mind began to explode when he stated, "Now don't you dare groan. If you didn't want large projects, you shouldn't have taken year six Potions! Anyways, all of you will be working in partners, and together you will research the topic which I assign to you. This assignment is worth thirty percent of your final grade, so unless you want to be warming these seats again next year, I suggest you do not fail." She felt like she would die when he explained, "Don't get too excited, because I am picking the partners." And she felt her heart break when her name was called, along with "Draco Malfoy". Even though she'd never heard this name before, she knew instantly who it belonged to. For beside her, the dark eyed nameless boy with white blonde hair's head almost fell flat on his desk.

Her insides felt as if somebody had set a Golden Snitch loose inside. And not in the good way, like when somebody is in love. No. It felt like the delicate silver wings of the majestic ball were slowly slicing away at her. This, by far, is the worst thing that had ever happened to Alice in her whole entire life.

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**All of your comments/concerns/ and criticism is appreciated :) so please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so much time to complete this chapter. I couldn't write for a while becaue I didn't have access to a computer for a while. Also I had a bit of writers block. Hope you enjoy it :).**

xoxoxox BobblesAndRockets02

**Disclaimer: I own none of the following characters. All rights go to their respective owners.**

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Chapter Four – Goosebumps and Sore Jaws

APV

_That ignorant, self centered, evil little bastard! _Alice thought ferociously to herself as she glanced up at the clock, ticking nonchalantly on the library wall. 9:30pm. Where the hell was he? Why the hell wasn't he here? Not that Alice particularly wanted Draco here; it was more that he needed to be. Her grade depended on him. The thought of her _needing_ Draco left a bitter taste in her mouth and made her gag. She still couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier that day, after everybody had been assigned their partners for the potions project.

_**Earlier that day**_

After names had been called, everybody wandered around the room in search of their potions partners. Some exchanged high fives. Some girly squeals of contentment. Others introduced themselves with awkward hellos, and little to no eye contact. Alice already knew who her partner was, and didn't feel obliged to as much as glance his way.

"Alright everybody," Snape said in his drawling voice, giving his hands a brisk clap, "I shall be sending an owl to each of you later this evening with a package containing various materials you may find useful in your research. Attached to this parcel will be a letter pertaining to your specific project. No two projects are the same, so any of you who were planning on copying another group's work, you can forget about it." He glared over at Crabbe, who put his hands up as if surrendering. Snape turned his attention back to the class. "Now I expect that you can all read, and that you will be able to follow the instructions inside this letter. And when I say this, I mean do _exactly_ as the letter says, and do _not_, under any circumstances open the package before you meet with your partner at the specified time." And then with a swish of his, the dungeon doors opened, therefore dismissing the class.

_**4:00pm**_

The owl arrived promptly at 4:00pm. Alice was sprawled across her bed, playing with a strand of her fiery hair, while reading over some ancient runes notes when she heard the sound of pecking on glass. Startled, Alice jumped up in time to see a scrawny, weathered looking brown barn owl sitting on the ledge outside her window. Remembering what Professor Snape had instructed, she carefully opened the window, giving the owl entry to her dorm room. It didn't stay long however. Only long enough to swoop around the chamber, drop a medium sized parcel wrapped in brown paper on her bed, and then leave. Alice stared out the window for a brief moment before turning to her package. Attached to the parcel, as Professor Snap had promised, was a letter written on folded beige parchment. The smell of the dungeons lingered in its every crease. She gingerly picked the note up, unfolded the stick parchment and read the stiff hand writing, in onyx ink:

Pupil's Name: Alice Acerbus

Assigned Partner: Draco Malfoy

ASSIGNMENT: Research what would happen if somebody were to try and use polyjuice potion on someone who is unconscious. Describe treatment needed, and side effects.

Your first meeting with your partner is at exactly 9PM tonight, in the library. Special arrangements have been made for you, in order for you to stay up past hours. Show this letter to the librarian as confirmation. Do not be late.

Professor Severus Snape

_**Present time**_

So Alice sat. Alice waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. But there was still no sign of Draco. It was now 9:35PM. Alice would've started the research without him, if it weren't for two things. First she didn't know where to start looking. This library was seven times the size of the one back at Enselmer. And second of all, she needed to open the package in order to start but she couldn't until Draco was there. She groaned in furry and slammed her head on the large wooden table. Nobody turned to shush her, because she was utterly alone. Besides her, the library was hauntingly vacant.

The librarian had asked her why she was there so late. "The library closes at 9. You should get back to your dormitory, if you do not wish for Mr. Filch to catch you and give you a detention." She had said.

At first Alice had been confused. But then she remembered Professor Snape's instructions, and pulled out the letter the owl had given her, and handed it to the aged librarian. She looked at Alice suspiciously before she read it sceptically over her horn rimmed glasses. "Ah...yes...I remember Professor Snape informing me about a group of students...yes...very well then. Good night then... Alice."

The quill she was tapping impatiently on the table was bright red. "Draco! You git! Where the hell are you?" she whispered murderously to herself. She had a slew of other names to call him, when she heard it. Most people wouldn't have been able to detect such a subtle sound, but then again, Alice wasn't really all that normal. It was the sound of a book falling with a dull thud on the marble floor, somewhere in the library. Normally she wouldn't have thought much of this but something wasn't right. That Alice knew for sure.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" She called.

Silence.

"Draco. So help you God, if that's you I swear I will kill you!" She hoped she sounded braver than she felt. In reality her stomach was knotted beyond repair.

There was the sound of foot steps close behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her skin broke out in goose bumps. She was being watched. She stood up so quickly, she sent her chair crashing to the ground. "I'm not afraid of you." Another lie. She heard foot steps again, this time; they were running towards the back of the library. It was then that the adrenaline kicked in. With her new found bravery, Alice took off after her stalker; flinging herself into on of the various rows of books. She could hear the sound of footsteps getting louder, which meant she was close. It was close. She paused to see if she could hear them more closely. The adrenaline was gone as quick at it had come. Her heart was beating hard. The footsteps had ceased. But something had taken its place. Breathing. It was coming from the isle behind her. Slowly, she turned around just in time to see a shadow move behind the space where a book should have been. Then something grabbed her shoulder.

If her calling hadn't woken up every living thing in the castle, then the scream of terror she let out must've. Another hand covered her mouth. Tightly.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you want to wake up the entire castle?" The words came as a frustrated whisper in her ear. The person let go of her, but once they did, she turned around and gave the individual a left hook in the jaw.

"That's for being late!" She glared at Draco like he was the scum on the bottom of her shoe.

Still rubbing his bruising jaw, Draco looked up confused. "Late? What the bloody hell are you talking about? The letter said to be her at 10!" Scowling he headed towards the table she had set her package down on. "If you don't believe me, look at my freaking letter!" He came back with a more than slightly crinkled piece of parchment. Determined to prove him wrong, Alice snatched it out of his hands.

There in onyx black ink, was 10:00PM.

DPV

"I'm not really sure if I'm glad I'm working with Lovegood or not." Grunted Goyle as he lounged across one of the black leather couches in the Slytherin common room. Classes had just been let of for the day, and the Slytherins in Draco's potions class were all huddled around the hearth, waiting for their packages to be sent. The fire cast shadows every which way, making the room seem more gloomy than usual. "What do you think of your partner Draco? Personally I find her cute. Too bad she wasn't placed in Slytherin..." He trailed off, relapsing into his imagination.

"She's a bitch." He interrupted Goyle, using the monotone voice he used when he was very unimpressed. Rolling his eyes, he stood up and wandered over to the now vacant fire place, and stared into the bright red flames.

_**Sometime after dinner.**_

His package didn't arrive until after dinner. Or before. He didn't really know for sure, because when he went into his dormitory, there was a brown paper wrapped package sitting on the black covers of his four poster bed. _Let's get this over with._ He thought to himself. He snatched the letter from that was tied to the parcel and unfolded the thick, crisp parchment. It stunk of the dungeons as he smoothed it out and read:

Pupil's Name: Draco Malfoy

Assigned Partner: Alice Acerbus

ASSIGNMENT: Research what would happen if somebody were to try and use polyjuice potion on someone who is unconscious. Describe treatment needed, and side effects.

Your first meeting with your partner is at exactly 10PM tonight, in the library. Special arrangements have been made for you, in order for you to stay up past hours. Show this letter to the librarian as confirmation. Do not be late.

Professor Severus Snape

Draco found it very odd how Professor Snape had them working so late past curfew, but relished in the fact that he would be able to say he was out of the dormitory after 10. There was only one problem. And her name was Alice. Suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue, Draco crumpled up the piece of paper and decided to take a short nap before he had to go see that dreadful girl. His mind was clouded with dread as he collapsed onto his bed, and allowed the darkness to carry him away.

_**9:45pm**_

Draco's short nap had somehow managed to stretch itself to such lengths, that when his eyes opened, the clock on the wall read 9:45pm. _Shit..._he thought mindlessly as he tumbled out of bed, grabbed his package and ran out the door. As much as he would love to blow off this meeting, his grades could afford it. He wanted to make his father proud this year by doing well, and if he bombed this assignment, he might as well be made to suffer the dementor's kiss.

As he stumbled down the hallway towards the library, his mind was still filled with lingering fog left over from sleep. He shook his head a couple times, trying to rid himself of it, but it seemed determined to stay.

He arrived at the library exactly at 10 o'clock. He peeked through the windows, but saw nobody. The library seemed to be abandoned. When he looked closer, straining his eyes, he noticed various supplies sitting on a table near the Herbology section of the library. Among the supplies was a package similar to the one Draco was holding. _Where is she?_ Draco thought to himself. He slowly opened the grand maple doors, and slipped noiselessly into the library. He heard something moving among the books as he set his package, letter, and quill next to hers.

_She's probably lost._ He rolled his eyes at the thought of helping her. He should leave her. But he couldn't. He couldn't explain even to himself, why his feet all of a sudden started to move towards the thousands of bookcases that made up the Hogwarts library. He heard frantic footsteps. He heard somebody gasping for air. She was scared. Good. Draco smiled at the thought of her panicking.

He found her standing all alone looking like a terrified animal. He couldn't see her face of course, since her back was to him. It was the way she was standing. As if she was ready to take off at anytime. She was breathing hard. Her heart racing. What he did next wasn't something he planned. Something he didn't even want to do. For some reason however, he walked up behind her and placed on of his hands on her shoulder, as if to comfort her. Her reaction was anything but comforted. She let out a scream that would scare the Bloody Barron. A blood curdling shriek, which he could only stop by slamming his hand over her mouth.

When she stopped squirming he exclaimed in frustration, "What the hell are you doing? Do you want to wake up the entire castle?" However, the battle wasn't over. Before he knew it, Alice threw a wicked left hook, which made a loud cracking sound as it collided with his jaw. He let go of her, rubbing his jaw; pain searing through his skull. He had to give it to her. He was impressed that somebody her size could manage a punch that powerful.

She looked at him, the fires of hell burning in her eyes. "That's for being late!"

Draco couldn't remember being more confused in his whole entire life. "Late? What the bloody hell are you talking about? The letter said to be her at 10!" How dare she accuse him of being late! He was here precisely on time! He turned swiftly and walked over to where he had left his letter, "If you don't believe me, look at my freaking letter!" He brought it back and handed the crumpled parchment to Alice.

He saw her eyes widen in disbelief.

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**Please remember to review :) your comments/concerns/suggestions are very much appreciated. And don't be afraid to message me to remind me to get back to work. Sometimes I get a bit distracted :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Hope you guys like it :)

All Rights go to their respective owners

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Chapter Five – There's Something Watching Alice Acerbus

It was particularly dark that night. For the moon hadn't come out to greet the stars. With the sky black as onyx stone, creatures and other bewildering things were able to sneak around in the never ending shadows that enveloped the school grounds. You couldn't just see the dark. You could feel it. Deep in the core of your being. Even if you weren't very aware of your surroundings, and weren't trying to, you could feel that the air was colder. This made Peter Pettigrew's job much easier. For no one would think anything, if they were to see a rat scurry down the hall, if they noticed at all.

_He will be so pleased._ Pettigrew thought to himself. The girl had been quite intriguing, and he knew what his boss had meant when he told him that the Dark Lord had plans for the girl. He hadn't left right away; having watched curiously as Alice had yelled at young Malfoy. She was different indeed.

Other than a few questioning glances from a couple curious portraits which hung on both sides of the hall, Pettigrew went completely unnoticed. It barely took him fifteen minutes to scurry as fast as his little legs could carry him, before he found himself sniffing at a large wooden door, somewhere in the dungeons. The smell of mildew was comforting to him. He turned his head stiffly from side to side, surveying his surroundings. It wasn't until he knew he was completely alone before he changed back into his human form. Hurriedly, he smoothed his dark robes, and did his best to flatten the tufts of mousy hair which sprouted from his head. He was just about to knock on the door with his glorious silver hand, when he heard a monotone voice call from within the chamber, "Come in Peter."

It was then he realized he had been holding his breath. Before entering he let out the rancid air, and cautiously opened the door. Just a crack. He could see Snape hovering over his desk, marking some papers. An utmost foul look on his face. Then again, he always looked like that. Without looking up, Snape said, "Accio chair." In an instant, a chair flew from the opposite side of the room, to reside in front of his desk. He motioned for Pettigrew to take the seat as his own.

Still eying his papers, he asked "Find anything useful? The Dark Lord grows more and more impatient to see if his hard work has paid off."

Pettigrew swept a hand over his brow, attempting to wipe off sweat that was never there. A nervous habit. "The Dark Lord has been very wise – as always I may add – in selecting this girl," he stammered, eyes not able to focus on one place for too long. "If what you say is true and our Lord's plans will indeed come into effect on the girls 17th birthday...well...our Lord will be very satisfied." Unable to resist, Pettigrew whipped his head around, sensing he was being watched. "I do have a question though...if I may ask however."

"Go ahead Peter." Snape murmured impatiently, scanning once more over the last of the papers.

"The girl...Alice...does she know? Is she aware of her own past?" He asked meekly, afraid of arousing Snape's violent temper. Though he might not look it, Snape could snap as easily as a Hippogriff.

"First of all," he began calmly, "that was two questions Peter. Second of all, no she does not. She is completely unaware of what happened all those years ago. The Dark Lord made it absolutely clear that he wanted her to remain unaware to the situation."

Pettigrew shook his head sadly, picking at his long blackened finger nails. "It's unbelievable though...they were supposed to love her. I can't believe...not that I don't love the Dark Lord...but why would they betray her in such an awful way..."

"Remember Peter," Snape exclaimed, watching Pettigrew over the rims of his reading glasses, "that what they have done, is not unlike what you did to the Potters. Remind your self of that next time you point fingers."

Suddenly ashamed, Pettigrew was flooded with grief. Even though what Snape said was true, it still hurt. He really had cared for the Potters, and had regretted his decision immediately. What people didn't know, was that Pettigrew wasn't at the Potter's that night to help Voldemort. No. He was actually there trying to help them escape. But he was too late. By the time he got there, Voldemort had already done away with them. When Black had confronted him, he cut off his finger and disguised himself as a rat, out of fear. He knew that they would never give him a chance to explain. And why should they have? He betrayed his best friend. And he will forever live with a heart heavy with sadness.

"That was very clever of you Severus, if I may add." Pettigrew gushed. "Having young Malfoy come a whole hour earlier than the girl. Such genius. Gave me plenty of time to observe." His smile faded. "Why are you dragging Draco into this matter? Severus, he's just a boy."

"It's simple." Snape explained as he picked some invisible lint off of his gloomy black robes. "Draco trusts me. He'll tell me anything I want to know, if I ask him. And I trust him to be honest. If not...well I have ways of making the truth come out." He gave a sinister smirk to nobody in particular. "I paired him up with Alice for that precise reason. I know he doesn't like her; therefore he'll be more observant. He doesn't trust her; therefore he'll be very cautious. And then, when the time comes for our Lord's plan to unfold, he won't feel the need to intervene."

With that, Pettigrew felt a slow sense of dread fill the pit of his stomach like a sack of rocks.

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APV

There wasn't a single sound inside the library that night, except for the sound of quills scratching vigorously over fresh crisp parchment. Draco, who was situated to Alice's right, was obviously still furious about being yelled at earlier. After their little dispute, where she had accused him of being late, they had silently went back to the table, and opened their packages. Alice's package had contained a box, which in turn contained 6 doses of polyjuice potion. Draco's box contained various papers containing information. Nothing to get excited over unfortunately.

_If he wants to be stubborn, let him. I could care less. _She did however feel slightly bad about yelling at him. After all, it wasn't his fault Professor Snape accidentally mixed up their times. She knew one thing. She didn't hate Draco. But she wasn't his best friend either. She had come to the conclusion that her reasoning for hating him was childish. She also decided that she would give this partnership a chance. She didn't have to like him, but she could at least try and make it as painless as possible.

"Draco?" She asked, not sure how he would respond to hearing her talking to him.

He looked away from the book he had been "studying" from for the past half an hour, and looked up at her. Somewhere between yelling at her to shut up, and now, she could see that his features had changed. His once hard, sinister grey eyes were now mellow, mysterious silver. His once pointed face, turned out to be very chiseled. Now that she was looking at him without all the disdain in her heart, she realized he wasn't that bad looking. Kind of cute actually. But none of this mattered. He was still sour on the inside.

"What?" He said, slightly impatient, but not very.

"I would just like to say," She began, "that the way I've treated you has been unacceptable. I don't even know you, but for some reason, I just hated you. To the pit of my soul. But I've realized now, that I was childish, and I was wondering if maybe we could start over?"

DPV

_Start over?_ Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. A minute ago, she was punching him in the face, and now she wanted to start over? He let out a sigh, and looked her in the face. She was attractive in her own sort of way, but he wasn't looking at her exterior. He was searching to see if she really meant what she was saying.

After studying her for what undoubtedly was the longest three minutes of her life, Draco came to the conclusion, that she was in fact being sincere. He could see it in her eyes. You can tell a lot about somebody, what they're thinking, what they're like, by looking into their eyes.

"I guess." He gave a weak smile, extending a hand to her. "Hello there. My name is Draco Malfoy."

She took it gingerly, but smiled back. "Why hello Mr. Malfoy, my name is Alice Acerbus." Her hand was so tiny and warm inside his own. Draco could tell she was happy with his reaction. Almost relieved. Draco pushed his chair back, stood up and glanced at her.

"Well, Miss Acerbus. We should probably get researching. Truthfully I've been bull shitting it this whole time. Would you like to come and look for some books with me?" He smiled, motioning towards the potions section of the library. She laughed and cautiously got to her feet. He could tell that as much as she wanted to truly start over, she was still a little careful. He understood. For he was being watchful as well.

Moments later they found themselves surrounded, once more, by books. Books on healing potions, books on potions that would kill you with the ingestion of one drop. Tonics for broken hearts, and brews for luck. Draco could see that Alice was frustrated. It must've been so odd trying to find books in a library she was so unfamiliar with. "Why they shelve their books like this I'll never know. Now, if we were back at Enselmer, I'd have found mounds of books already!"

He tried not to smirk, but seeing her so frustrated was quite amusing. "Don't get too irritated, or else your hair might set fire to all the books. Then what will we have to conduct research from?" Her hand stopped mid air. He could feel her anger building up inside of her. He'd definitely touched a nerve, making fun of her hair colour. Slowly she turned to face him, rage clearly in her face. _Oh shit._ He was in for it, and he knew it.

"What did you say?" She asked slowly.

Oh shit.

"I didn't mean it like that. I love red hair!" But it was too late to stop her now.

"Don't you think I know that I'm a ginger? Don't you think I know how everybody snickers behind my back because of it?" She was clearly furious, but to him it was amusing. "So don't you dare! Don't you dare say anything! Why did I ever, EVER, think we could ever be friends? Huh? Why didn't I just go with my gut instinct? From the first time I met you I knew you were a selfish, little –"

And with that, he kissed her.

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Sorry it was so short. Just thought that was a good place to end it ;) Make sure to review :)


	6. Chapter 6

Omg I am SO sorry it has been forever since I last updated. It's just been too hard to update what with school starting back up and what not.

I am aware this chapter is a tad short, but I feel I cut it off where I should've :)

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I own nothing, and that all rights go to their respective owners.

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Chapter Six – What the Hell Just Happened?

APV

Anger. Desire. Hate. Longing. Wanting to push him away. Wanting it to never end. This is how one stupid kiss by Draco made Alice feel. It wasn't until the kiss had ended that she was flooded with such emotions. At first they just stood their, taking each other in, thirsty to take in every inch of each other's face. Draco had managed to change her from the girl who wanted nothing more than to rip his heart out and shred it before his eyes, to the girl standing before him now. A confused school girl, wondering why her knees have gone weak. A girl who was angry for feeling this way towards him. A girl who didn't know what to think anymore.

Draco didn't make any move on his part to kiss her again, but he didn't move away either. He just stood their, breathing slow, before saying one word. One single freaking word that made her shudder. "Wow..." He seemed as surprised as she was at his actions. As if he didn't know he had it in him.

With that, almost all her resentment washed away. She didn't know what it was about Draco, but he had the ability to calm her when she was at the point where she wanted to kill someone – well not really somebody. Him is a more appropriate word. It was as if she was meant to find him. She was meant to have a fight with him. He was meant to kiss her. With one kiss, he had erased everything bad in the world.

And she hated him for it. Hated him for being able to break down the walls she spent years putting up. Hated him for being able to make her feel the way she was feeling.

But she couldn't deny the feeling deep in her soul. It was as if brownies – a breed of pixie back home – were tugging the strings inside her heart. So therefore she came to the conclusion that she was only certain of two things in this world. The first being that Draco was capable of angering her, due to his egotistical stupidity, and arrogance. The second, that she was absolutely, positively one hundred percent in love with him. Head over heals. Unable to live in world without his sarcastic attitude and crooked grin. She now knew what her cousin had been talking about. All those afternoons spent writing letters back and forth, talking about her boyfriend Mason. How he was her number one. How life would cease to exist if he were to leave, or if something happened to him. Alice had thought it sounded preposterous. Ludicrous even. But now it all made sense.

So when she looked up into those gorgeous silver eyes of his, she couldn't help but feel warm all over. _God he smells good_ is the only thing that comes to mind when she notices the delectable scent wafting off of him. Reminds her of the boy spray Axe back home. She let out a chuckle.

"You're a dick you know that?" She said to him jokingly. The grin that crossed his face made her feel as if she'd faint. Alice hated clichés, but there was no way else of describing how she felt.

"Oh am I?" He chuckled before leaning in for a second kiss.

DPV

_I was wrong. I was wrong. Oh GOD I was so wrong._ Draco thought to himself as he kissed Alice tenderly on the lips. How could he have thought for one moment that the beautiful creature that stood before him was even close to being a hateful bitch? Now that Draco thought about it, Alice was a lot like him in a lot of ways. They were both misunderstood, they both put walls up to protect themselves from getting hurt and most of all, they were both so lonely. Draco may have had parents that gave him everything he had ever wanted, _everything_ only went as far as materialistic things. They didn't provide what he needed emotionally. During Christmas holidays, he would often find himself home, all alone inside the family's huge estate, completely helpless. Nobody to hug him. Nobody to ask him how he was feeling. His father was often off at some Death Eater meeting, and his mother did what ever her father told her to. And then there was Alice. Although she had friends with her from her old school, she might as well have been by herself. She was away from her family, in a strange country she'd never been to before, and she was...well...lonely.

Draco's need for a companion heightened, as he slipped an arm around Alice's waist, drawing her closer to him. He shuttered as she looped her arms around his neck, holding him close. "I'll never let you go Alice...I'll always be here for you." He whispered in her ear. And for the next who knows how long, they just stood there holding each other so tight, he thought they may never break apart. All of a sudden he felt Alice's shoulders start to tremble. The shoulder of his robes began to feel damp. His heart hurt when he realized she was crying. He died inside as he felt her knees give out, and she fell helplessly into him, and wanted nothing more than to sooth her pain and comfort her as he guided her to a sitting position on the floor, where he took her in his lap. He didn't say anything. He just let her cry.

* * *

Draco didn't know how long it too for Alice's breathing to return back to normal. All he knew was that he didn't care. He didn't care if the stars' light was dwindling outside. Didn't care if Filch came and through him out of the castle forever. As long as Alice was with him everything would be fine. So he sat there, with her head curled into his shoulder, not saying anything. Not needing to. He slowly stroked the curtain of thick reddish hair, and kissed the top of her head. She smelt of kiwi and orchid. _It suits her. Unique._ He thought, allowing the essence of Alice to fill his nose.

He was just about to say something witty, maybe even romantic, but that was when he heard the light snoring beside his ear. He couldn't help but chuckle as he thought to himself _Of course you would choose now to fall asleep._ So slowly and gently he stood up, cradling her in his arms. She wasn't heavy at all, and reminded him of a small child the way she had her arms around his neck, sleeping soundlessly. With a wave of his wand, all of their stuff which had been waiting for their return on the table flew into the air, and followed him as he headed off down the hall, towards the Ravenclaw sleeping quarters.

Alice didn't stir much on the way back to her dormitory. Not when the knocker on the Ravenclaw door asked its riddle, "What is broken when it is spoken?"Not when Draco answered "Silence". Not when the door answered "A very wise answer" and opened. Not even when Draco set Alice down on her bed – it was obviously hers for it was the only one decorated with anything unique. No. She was just like the princess from a muggle fairytale he had heard about in muggle studies. Sleeping Beauty he believed it was called. As much as he hated to have to compare her to a muggle, there was no other way to describe the aura around her. So without saying a word – as not to interrupt her slumber – he left. But not before conjuring up a bright red tulip, and setting it on her bedside table.

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Feel free to review :) all comments/concerns/criticism are welcome :)


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys :) sorry it took so long to update. I'm having a pretty stressful semester right now, so I didn't have very many opportunities to write. Hope you all like it, I know it's a bit on the shorter side, but I thought it was a decent place to end.

as usual: I own Nothing. All rights go to their respective owners.

xoxo. BobblesAndRockets02

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Chapter Seven – Making Deals with the Devil Tends not to Work in Your Favour.

Evening had set over the dreary walls of Malfoy Manor, allowing the moon's silvery light to cast distorted shadows across the court yard. The Dark Lord Voldemort stood as still as death itself, observing the scene from one of the many windows in the grand ball room. These were the kind of nights that made him appreciate having his body back the most. For he enjoyed the sullen way that fog crawled over the land. The way crows took flight. The brisk, cold air in his lungs. He found comfort in darkness; for he had hidden in it for many a year. But not anymore.

The Dark Lord had become so comforted by the grotesque scenery and the crackling sound from the roaring fire – which he had produced in the large fireplace – that he almost didn't notice Wormtail skitter into the room. Reluctantly he turned away from the moons luminous light, to face the man who would kill himself, if the lord commanded it. As much as he despised the sight of that scum bag – he had let his hair go scraggly again, and his odour was far from desirable – he had to admit that he was by far his most loyal servant. Even though he only served him out of fear.

He stood before the King of Darkness now, trying to look his bravest, though Voldemort noticed he was shaking a bit. "My Lord, they simply will not shut up! They keep on complaining about the arrangements you so graciously provided them. I told them, "You aught to be grateful" I told them my Lord. But they continue to scream, and holler. Are you...quite certain...that you would not like me to...you know...perform the Cruciatus curse?" Although he tried to hide it, Voldemort could hear the sparkle of excitement in his voice; in his eyes.

Voldemort shook his head, and placed a skeletal hand on Wormtail's head, and began to stroke the odd patches of hair that grew from the wizard's scalp. He could feel Wormtail cringe, as if he expected the Dark Lord to strike him. "No my pet. Not yet. You know my orders specifically forbade the...damaging of our guests. And what kind of host would I be, if I put my guests through such torture?" He smirked, laughing within. "Besides, if anybody is going to perform such an act, it shall be that wonderful creature Bellatrix."

"It's lovely to think that my Lord feels so highly of me." Bellatrix said in that seductive tone Voldemort loved so much. Pushing Wormtail aside, she wrapped her arms around Voldemort, and kissed him lightly. If any other Death Eater had performed such an act, they would have been dead before they could comprehend what was had happened. But Bellatrix was special. She was his perfect mate, for she was just as blood thirsty, and power hungry as he. One day, if things went according to plan, he would make her his dark queen. His goddess. After breaking the embrace, Voldemort gazed upon Bellatrix with a look of pure adoration. Or rather, the closest thing he could conjure up.

"My darling looks particularly lovely this evening." He purred. He saw her cheeks turn a lively shade of rose as he brushed on of his fingers along her cheek bone.

"My lord is too kind." She whispered, eyelashes fluttering.

The chime of the wooden Grandfather clock situated in the corner, informed them that midnight was officially upon them, and that it was time to summon the rest of his clan of followers. "Bella, my love," he whispered, "May I borrow your arm for a moment?" Bellatrix's eyes widened with joy as she thrust her right arm forward, and rolled up the sleeve of her black Victorian style gown, revealing her Dark Mark. As he pressed the tip of his want to the marvellous tattoo, he knew it would be only a matter of minutes before they were joined by the others. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy would have joined them sooner, but there had been a problem at the ministry, and it would have been suspicious if they hadn't shown. A clap of thunder erupted, and Voldemort knew it was time.

The first to arrive was Severus. A moment later, the rest followed. As everybody took their seats, Voldemort pointed to Wormtail – who had taken to quivering in a corner – and motioned for him to come closer. "Bring up our guests in exactly fifteen minutes." And then he scurried off, closing the heavy wooden doors behind him.

"My friends," he stood to address the crowd. "I am sure you are all rather curious as to why I have summoned you here. But before I tell you, I would like to tell you all a story." Before he continued, he glanced around and saw a few curious faces. For not everybody there was in on the Dark Lord's plan.

"Once upon a time, there was a man. And he had a wife. One day the man in question was given the news from his doctor that he was going to die. For he had contracted a disease that did not yet have a cure. When his wife heard the news, she was distraught. For you see, they had just gotten married, and were expecting. So they decided to find help else where. But no matter what, no matter how hard they tried, nobody was able to help him. The man's help deteriorated quickly, and the woman became desperate. She had heard of a very dark and powerful wizard who knew magic that nobody else knew. Desperate for help, they met with this most powerful wizard.

They begged him to save the man, and the wizard, a merciful man, agreed. But for a price. The wizard you see had a special intuition, and he only wanted one thing. The child in the mother's womb. For he could tell that the child would be special. Reluctantly, the mother agreed, and the wizard cured the man of his illness. Once the child was born, the dark lord confided in a few of his followers with his plan. He put the child through multiple tests, erasing its memory each time so it would not recall what had happened. These tests you see were to enhance the child's natural powers. To turn the child into a weapon that the lord could use in the future. To make sure the child would not be a danger to itself, the lord made sure its new enhancements would not take effect until its 17th birthday. The lord reminded the couple that if they broke their agreement with him, the dark lord would rain torture upon them, until nobody survived."

He looked towards the door as it opened and he saw Wormtail usher his guests into the room. "Isn't that right Mr. and Mrs. Acerbus?"

The couple looked up at him, and he could see fear in their eyes. "Please don't hurt Alice...please!" The woman cried out, her fire red hair falling in her face as she bowed her head. The man's brilliant blue eyes were filled with concern.

The Dark Lord laughed, as he walked over to the woman. When he reached her, he tipped her chin up with his boney index finger, so that she was forced to look him in the face. "My dear! You lost all ownership to your daughter the day you sold her to me! Now, I can guarantee you I will not kill her, but I make no promises that she will not be harmed, tortured. For that is one of my favourite past times." He spat in her face for effect, which sent Bellatrix into a fit of laughter. He motioned for Bellatrix to come to him, and he took her in his arms.

"Could you be a more ungrateful little bitch?" Bellatrix shrieked. "The Dark Lord did what he promised! He cured your husband! And now you continue to make more demands! I should strike you dead right now!"

Voldemort stroked her head. "Hush my pet. They are not worth it." But Bellatrix was still tense. "Of course, I have no intention of hurting the girl. For as I have said, she is somewhat of a …. Secret weapon." He chuckled. "But however, I do need you to do something for me. For you see, you are part of my plan, Mr. and Mrs. Acerbus."

They gave him a look of terror. "Us?" Mr. Acerbus said in a shaky tone.

"What do you want from us? You already have our daughter!" Cried a weeping Mrs. Acerbus.

"Oh no, I am not through with you two just yet. Because believe it or not, you two will be hand delivering her to me when the time is right. Her birthday is on the 2nd of February…is it not?" He inwardly enjoyed their sorrow. Their pain. Their regret. For making a deal with the devil, had not turned out in their favour.

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